Ice Cube was supposed to appear on the morning talk show Good Morning America today but canceled his appearance — telling that he was not in the “mood to tell America, good morning.”
His decision came on the back of the situation in Minneapolis, with riots taking place after video emerged of unarmed black man George Floyd, who later died, being pushed to the ground by police officer Derek Chauvin.
In the video, the officer can be seen drive his knee into the back of Floyd’s neck, leaving him complaining he couldn’t breathe. He eventually lost consciousness and later died in hospital.
The police officers involved lost their jobs, but there have as yet been no criminal charges filed against them. This caused a massive protest to take place in Minneapolis, which ended with people looting stores. One video showed people looting a Target and stealing anything they could.
Ice Cube, who was supposed to talk about his upcoming movie The High Note on GMA, said he had decided to pull out of his appearance after the incidents.
“I apologize to everyone expecting to see me on Good Morning America today, but after the events in Minnesota with George Floyd I’m in no mood to tell America, good morning.”
I apologize to everyone expecting to see me on Good Morning America today, but after the events in Minnesota with George Floyd I’m in no mood to tell America, good morning.
— Ice Cube (@icecube) May 28, 2020
Ice Cube continues to demand change
Ice Cube posted a somber drawing before the announcement, which recreated the scene of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck, along with the caption, “Most kids are taught that Monsters are fake, but some kids know that Monsters are real.”
Most kids are taught that Monsters are fake, but some kids know that Monsters are real… pic.twitter.com/17FLDeWtlm
— Ice Cube (@icecube) May 27, 2020
He also shared two images of Chauvin, including one of him kneeling on Floyd’s neck, and another of him wearing a cap reading ‘Make Whites Great Again’.
A wolf in wolves clothing. The demons are among us. #Fightthecowards pic.twitter.com/UYw7zXNabQ
— Ice Cube (@icecube) May 27, 2020
Ice Cube has always been a voice for change, after getting his start in the band NWA in the 80s. They became huge after releasing the classic hit “F**k the Police,” a song he had to convince Dr. Dre to even record with the group.
In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2018, Ice Cube spoke out against police treatment of African Americans, and how children are often targeted from a young age. He said, “I don’t know nobody from the hood who ain’t really been f***ed with by the police at some point, and ,they get you early. They start f***ing with you when you’re nine, 10, just to put that intimidation in you.
“They start at an early age f***ing with you — pulling you off your bike, make you put your hands on the hood. F**king nine, 10 year olds, sitting on the grass, just played football — these motherf***ers swoop up and f*** with you and it just happens all through your f***ing life, you know what I mean, until you either get out of the neighborhood or whatever you do.”
He added, “You keep having these incidents, and the fear turns into resentment, frustration, and hatred.”
Ice Cube was scheduled to appear on Good Morning America to talk about his upcoming movie The High Note. The film is a 2020 comedy-drama starring Dakota Johnson — who appeared on Britain’s Graham Norton Show last week — and Tracee Ellis about a personal assistant to a famous singer who wants to be a music producer.
The High Note hits digitally on May 29, 2020.